Drill steel retainer



A 13, .1929. E; ENFER 1,724,619

DRILL STEEL RETAINER Filed March 14. 1928 Patented Aug. 13, 1929.

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DRILL STEEL RETAINER.

Application filed March 14, 1928. Serial No. 261,559.

The present invention is directed to improvements in drill steel retainers.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device of this character constructed in such manner that the retainer can be secured to the front head of the drill without the use of bolts or additional springs.

Another object of the invention is to produce a device of this kind wherein the retainer per se is formed from a single piece of suitable gauge steel wire stock having its side arms provided with single coils adapted to pivotally engage the front head in order that the retainer may swing to its open or closed position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this type so formed that the coils of the side arms of the retainer may contract when the retainer yoke is subjected to shock incident to the drill steel collar striking the same, thus aiding materially in absorbing such shocks.

l/Vith these and other objects in view, this invention resides in the novel features of construction, formation, combination and ar-' rangements of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation.

Figure 2 is a top plan view.

Figure 3 is an end view.

Figure 4t is a sectional view on line 4- 1 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing,1 designates the front head of a percussive drill or tool and in which is operable the drill steel 2, provided with the customary collar 8. The front head is connected to the drill cylinder 4 by side rods 5, as usual.

Formed upon opposite sides of the front head are recesses 6 and resultant walls 7, said walls being curved and have their ends stopping at diagonally disposed points upon the front head to provide unobstructed openings 8, the purpose of which will later appear. These walls are formed integral with the front head and are gradually thickened toward their lower ends, as at 9, to add strength at points subjected to the most strain, the terminals of said thickened portions constituting stops 10, the purpose of which will be later explained.

The front head has also formed upon opposite sides and in advance of the walls 7 spaced lugs 11 and 12, which define seats 13. The

lugs 11 have abrupt shoulders 14, while the lugs 12 are rounded.

The drill steel retainer per se 15 consists of a single length of suitable gauge wire stock bent to provide a collar engaging yoke 16 and side arms 17. The upper ends of the side arms terminate in open coils 18 which are adapted to engage the recesses 6 with their outer peripheries intimately engaged with the inner surface of said walls. It will be observed that the terminals of the coils are engaged at all times with the thickened portions of the walls and that the rear portions of the side arms 17 are accommodated in the spaces 8, which are of such size as to permit the side arms to swing as the retainer is opened or closed.

Owing to the inherent resiliency of the re tainer the side arms 17 will spread in order that saidarms can ride over therounded lugs 12 when the retainer is swung open and snap into the seats 13 when the retainer is closed, the swinging movement thereof being positively limited when the retainer is closed by the shoulders 14. It will be obvious that when the retainer is swung open in order that the yoke 16 will be moved to a position to permit the drill steel collar 8 of the steel to pass, thatthe swinging movement of the retainer is then limited by the stops 10 which are in the path of movement of the side arms 17.

It will be apparent that when the retainer is in its operative position and the yoke 16 thereof is subjected to a blow from the collar 3 that the coils will contract and aid in absorbing the shock incident to such blow. In this manner the life of the retainer will be prolonged.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with the front head of a percussive drill, of walls formed upon opposite sides thereof and having spaced terminals to provide openings, a drill steel retainer having coils upon its side arms for pivotally engaging the walls, portions of the arms being operable in said openings to permit swinging of the retainer, and means upon the front head for holding the retainer positively closed.

2. In combination with the front head of a percussive drill having recesses upon its opposite sides and resultant walls, said walls being curved and having spaced terminals to provide openings, the terminal of each wall constituting a stop, said front head having seats upbn the sides' thereof and disposed in adapted to engage said stops to limit the advance of the Walls, a drill steel retainer swinging movement of the retainer When having side arms provided With termi'l'l'al opening, said arms being adapted to engage 10 coils, forpivotalengagement in the recesses the seats to hold the retainer in its closed po- 5 and capable of slidably engaging the inner 'sition.

surfaces of the Walls, said side arms having In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. portions thereof movable in the openings-and JOHN E. RENFER. 

